Adelyn Vail and the Uphill Battle
by IdeaJotter
Summary: Adelyn Vail has wanted to attend Hogwarts since she was a small child and grew up. The only problem? She hasn't gotten in. With help from her best friend and a few other unlikely figures, she devises means to trick her way into the castle without being found out, but once there, she starts to realize that the Hogwarts is more complicated than her wishful imagination anticipated.


Adelyn Vail and the Uphill Battle

Chapter One: The First Test

In the din of applause that echoed around the room following Christie Rowansen being placed in House Ravenclaw, a cold sweat suddenly came over Addie. In just a few more names, Professor Li would call hers and she would join the other first years in walking down the rows of tables and having Professor Li place the hat on her head. In the fervor of the day's travel - which seemed far shorter than she had anticipated - all thought of which house she would be placed into had evaporated. Now, in a moment of panic, it all came flooding back.

She glanced over at the Gryffindor table, where her friend Horatio was already seated. He was beaming so wide his lips seemed like they would split; ever since they had been old enough to know about Hogwarts, Horatio had wanted to end up in Gryffindor. "It's where all the best wizards go!" he had told her on many occasions. "All the ones who turn out famous and go on adventures and stuff. It's the house of Albus Dumbledore and Mad-Eye Moody and Fletcher the Swift and Sir Pol the Dragonslayer - and Harry Potter!"

Seeing Horatio happy comforted Addie a little, but she wasn't sure she wanted to end up with a bunch of Harry Potter fans. Already that house was twice as large as any of the others, with at least half of its newcomers wearing the same expression as Horatio and casting furtive glances at an uncomfortable-looking prefect and his first-year sister. Addie had never been particularly into celebrities, at least not living ones. Given the opportunity to meet Dickens or Shakespeare or one of the Brontes, though, she imagined she might be swooning too.

"Nerium Tenebrine!" Professor Li called out.

A tall girl with a thin, curved nose slid out from the end of the first years' table and walked up to the stool where the wrinkled hat rested. When the professor placed it on her head, she closed her eyes as though concentrating very hard. The hat took about five minutes to decide her house - not even half the longest time so far - but when it shouted a resounding, "HUFFLEPUFF!" before anyone could applaud, the girl responded with her own, "FUCKITY SHIT!"

The hall fell silent after a few uncertain claps. Professor Li first looked at the girl, then at the hat as though wondering if it had uttered the profanity. Headmaster McGonagall tilted her head slightly so she could peer over her thin spectacles, but otherwise made no move to do anything about the situation. Addie didn't get the sense that Hogwarts offered second opinions on house selection, and the girl must have realized this too because after a moment of looking mortified, she shuffled off to join the Hufflepuff table to the tune of a few more confused claps.

When Professor Li resumed calling names, Addie couldn't help but laugh a little bit in spite of herself. Her stomach was in knots and she was one of the last students left at the first-year table, but seeing someone else be embarrassed helped soothe those fears. She was likely to have egg on her face too in a few minutes, and if someone else could make it through, perhaps she could as well.

"Adelyn Vail!"

Addie jumped, surprised to hear her own name. Horatio had assured her that it would there, that the list was written by magic as soon as the first years crossed the lake just as the acceptance letters were written by magic when a British wizard became old enough to go to Hogwarts. Even so, a small part of Addie expected hers to be skipped. _This is it, then_, she thought to herself. _The moment of truth_.

She rose to her feet and began the trek to the front of the hall, which suddenly seemed much bigger than it had a moment before. The scent of pumpkins wafted through the warm September air, and Addie had the urge to take it all in again. She glanced up at the vaulted ceiling with its gray-blue clouds and silvery moon, at the giant hourglasses resting against the far wall decorated with the colors and animal heralds of the houses. Addie looked up at the professors, some of whom had been mentioned in her and Horatio's books, but then averted her eyes to stare at her feet when she met McGonagall's glassy gaze. Even the stone floors, though, seemed magical, surely worn smooth by the shoes of famous witches and wizards for the last several centuries. And here she was, Addie the Impostor, not deserving any of it.

She almost bumped into Li, staring down at her feet as she approached the stand. He kindly beckoned her to turn around, which she did. Her breath caught as she looked out at the hundreds of Hogwarts students staring at her. She didn't think her stomach could become more knotted, but it had finally found a way. Professor Li must have noticed her fright, because before putting the sorting hat on, he asked her in a quiet voice, "Are you okay?"

Addie took a quick moment to appreciate the beauty of the hall once more, knowing she might never see it again, then nodded and closed her eyes.

My, aren't you a curious one, said a voice in her ear.

Addie almost opened her eyes, but couldn't bring herself to look out at those many eyes. She hoped the hat, if it was indeed the one speaking, could not be heard by the rest of the room.

Well, this is new for both of us, isn't it? Let's see… mmm, a rulebreaker, a troublemaker perhaps, but brave. A good fit for Gryffindor if ever I saw one… no? You don't want to be in Gryffindor? Very curious. All right, well you have a good solid brain. A shoe-in for Ravenclaw if you can stand the pressure… or perhaps it's the pressure you're looking for? After all, you are _unique_. And I can see big ambitions in you, bigger than most who step through these halls…

Ah, but there it is. That's your heart: joy. You've wanted to come here your whole life, haven't you? You've dreamed of it, of living in a castle and learning magic and living out all those childhood fantasies that remain fantasies for most children. But not you, it seems.

I could tell them, you know. If you wanted to leave, I could tell them and end this whole charade. You could keep your fantasy as it is in your head, unblemished by what this place really is.

No? Very well. Perhaps you might do some good here, after all...

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat yelled.

Addie opened her eyes. The room was cheering for her, and the reason why remained elusive for a brief moment. The hat had called out a house. She hadn't imagined that, had she?

Li removed the hat from her head and, dazed, she made her way over to the House Hufflepuff table. The girl from before was sitting with her knees to her chest staring off at nothing in particular and looking bitter more than embarrassed. She seemed unlikely to ask questions, so Addie claimed the spot next to her amidst the excited handshakes of her new housemates. She maintained a weak smile, more exhausted than anything, but greeted them all in kind.

The guilt came crawling back when she realized she was in a different house than Horatio. Addie sat up and peered over the tables to look for him, but when she caught his glance, rather than appearing disappointed, he was waving at her and grinning just as wide as when he was sorted into his own house. He made a fist-pump in the style of their favorite American superhero, The Roofrunner, and, laughing, Addie returned the gesture. She had been sorted into House Hufflepuff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had gotten here. She had made it.

Not bad for a Muggle, Addie thought to herself.


End file.
